Windows 11 Folder custom Icon Issue

Hello Carolyn. I am trying to apply your advise, but I am not sure to understand your flow. I did create a new folder on my desktop, right clicked, and went to customize. But when I click on the "Change icon" box, I am not given any other choice than dll files, when I want to use any jpg that I find handy. Then, of course, from this moment on, all is totally opaque "Scroll to MIDDLE closed folder icon next to cog icon, click it, Ok, Apply.". The picture illustrating my folders are all called "folder.jpg" and this is what I have been using forever since I own a computer. Are jpg convertible in dll files? and if so, will I have to rename all those jpg?! Thanks

If you click the browse button you can select another Icon outside the DLL file. Using another file type other than .ico (as far a I know) will not work however.

Using your Web Browser to search for .jpg to .ico or .png to .ico (Depending on your file type) will bring up a few online sites where you can convert the pictures you have to .ico files for free and allow you download them to a directory, or automatically put them in the "Downloads" folder where you can easily find them. For people with literally hundreds or even thousands of folders this is an untenable solution to the folder.jpg issue. For people who just want to change a few, this works. There are drawbacks to doing this though. The ability to recognize the Icon as a folder rather than a program or shortcut goes away. ...but again, if you only have a few, and know what they are, this works. If you pick "Choose File" instead of "Change Icon", you should be able to use .jpg files and recognize the image as a folder, but the view may still truncated. I haven't tried that one yet.

Edit: Just a Note: I just tried the "Choose File" rather than just putting a folder.jpg image in the folder so I could actually see the result rather than quoting what it "should do". This is actually the first time I tried this, and didn't get any results. I don't know if it's just me or weather that option is broken too, but it didn't work for me

Edit to the Edit: To see your file extensions to determine what type of file you have; Go to Windows Explorer (or open a folder) Click on the View tab at the top, Go to "Options" and click "Change Folder or Search options". From there, click on the "View" tab and scroll down to "Hide Extensions For Known File Types", and uncheck the box. This will allow you to see your file extensions. To me, not being able to see the file extensions is a security concern. Why MS made extensions hidden as a default is beyond me. Once you determine your file type, if seeing Extensions doesn't suit you, you can always turn them off again by going back and rechecking the box. To me, I would rather see them. If you don't, you could see a file called (for example) Picture.jpg when the real name is Picture.jpg.exe, allowing a malicious executable file to run in the background while the screen displays something innocuous after you click on the file. Hope this helps.

It can be fixed by replacing the half-cover folder mask icon with a transparent icon, but that change has to be made to a system file. The steps and icon file are posted here:

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/windows-folder-icons.24280/post-547834

That's the best I can offer for now. Eventually, I hope to streamline those steps to a single clickable patch program.

It would be much better if Microsoft gave users the options to have full size folder thumbnails. It's silly that we have to keep patching out their questionable design choices.

Hi William,

I understand what you were saying. I'm just telling you that Microsoft has fixed the broken "Choose a file to show on this folder Icon" feature in the Insider Preview build.

The images in my previous post are from the Insider build. I assigned a Picture/JPEG file custom icon by clicking the "Choose File" option under "Choose a file to show on this folder Icon" and the result is what you see in Figure 1 in my previous post.

(Two edits done to this post.)

Really, it can't be done????????????????????????????????????? Let's get someone who can fly to the moon to do this, huh. I mean if it was done all this time--years with all my previous versions, why not with 11?

We want to do things easier, faster....not go backwards.

Somebody wake them up at Microsoft. Maybe they're not paid enough?

FYI, as of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557, File Explorer will now show previews of items within folders.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-11-folder-icons-with-multimedia-thumbnail/07230c12-14c2-42c9-afe6-e22a42db1127

Hi Rags,

I am Sumit here to assist you with this question.

Aditya gave incorrect information. With Windows 11, you can no longer see previews of the contents inside the folders. The only distinction provided by the team is, if there are some files inside, the folder icon would have a tiny paper clip.

Windows 11 Folder Icons with Multimedia Thumbnail Previews?

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

You can always request feature ideas in the Feedback Hub(Win+F).